News Blog

- New Website Developed By San Quentin State Prison Inmates -

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – August 1, 2017 – Prisoner to employee. Employee to manager. Manager to leader. For the formerly incarcerated, the ability to realize leadership potential often starts with just getting hired. Yet 50 percent of applicants with a criminal background never get a call back from hiring managers. To help challenge perceptions and shed light on the power of employment, Dave’s Killer Bread (DKB) has launched SecondChanceProject.com. The website will be a place where people with criminal backgrounds can give voice to the transformative impact of having a job, as well as others who believe in Second Chance Employment to express their support of the movement.

Dave’s Killer Bread, where one in three employee-partners in its Oregon bakery has a criminal background, is an advocate for Second Chance Employment working to break down barriers and inspire other businesses to open their doors to a new workforce.

“I’ve seen first-hand the ability of people – my co-workers – to turn their lives around with a second chance,” said Dan Letchinger, vice president of marketing. “Second Chance Employment is baked into our DNA, and now we’re working to go beyond our bakery walls and give voice to others and show the world the positive lasting change that second chances can have.”

A first of its kind endeavor, the story collection website was created in partnership with The Last Mile, a Technology Accelerator inside San Quentin State Prison that provides inmates with advanced training and work opportunities to hone their skills to prepare for workforce re-entry. Once programmers graduate from the in-prison computer coding program, they have marketable job skills to aid them in gainful employment as web developers rather than returning to a life of crime.

“We know that employment can be the difference between becoming a success story and returning to crime,” said Beverly Parenti, co-founder and executive director of The Last Mile. “The Second Chance Project aims to change the stigma around those with a criminal record and demonstrate that Second Chance Employment is powerful, one voice at a time. This is why we’re honored to be a part of this project. Because together we can make a difference.”

TLM Works, the web development shop in San Quentin comprised of coders trained by The Last Mile, completed the SecondChanceProject.com in accordance with detailed creative direction. The project was supervised by Tulio Cardozo, a founding class alumni of The Last Mile and former San Quentin inmate who is the first person to be granted permission to reenter San Quentin as a credentialed employee and technical manager. The Last Mile graduates Marcellino (“Lino”) Ornelas and William (“Murph”) Murphy, Jr. led project web development. Both men are currently serving sentences in San Quentin and aspire to careers in coding upon release.

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About Dave’s Killer Bread

Feeding consumers’ love of whole grains and rocking the bread aisle comes naturally to Dave’s Killer BreadTM, the best-selling organic sliced bread in the U.S.* The flagship organic bread for Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO), Dave’s Killer Bread pioneered the organic seeded bread category and offers 19 varieties of whole grain organic bakery products with widespread distribution across the U.S. and Canada. All its products are Certified USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. First introduced at Portland Farmers Market in 2005, Dave’s Killer Bread’s deep commitment to the power of second chances is helping transform lives and lead to positive, lasting change for its employee partners, one of three who have a criminal background. Based on the belief that business has the power to create meaningful, lasting change, Dave’s Killer Bread is dedicated to inspiring other businesses to become Second Chance Employers. Learn more at: http://www.daveskillerbread.com/.

About The Last Mile

The Last Mile is a Technology Accelerator, in partnership with California Prison Industry Authority, inside San Quentin prison that prepares incarcerated individuals for successful reentry through business and technology training. We believe that jobs are the key to breaking the cycle of incarceration. Our mission is to provide marketable skills that lead to employment. Our in an out program provides career training in prison with mentorship and job placement upon release. Learn more at: https://thelastmile.org/

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – July 5, 2017 – Dave’s Killer Bread (DKB) wants to translate its experience hiring people with backgrounds into data that may compel other employers to do the same. The nation’s top-selling organic bread maker has joined the Second Chance Employer Case Study, a joint project of Harvard University’s Professor Devah Pager and the Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, comparing the job tenure and performance of employees with criminal backgrounds to that of their coworkers without criminal backgrounds. Researchers are seeking more organizations to participate in the study, the first of its kind for the private sector.

The Second Chance Employer Case Study was launched to fill information gaps about the risks and rewards of employing people with criminal backgrounds. One in four American adults has a criminal record, which often carries a stigma in the job market that results in exclusion from consideration, or job offer withdrawals after background checks. Yet DKB and other Second Chance Employers (employers who hire people with criminal backgrounds) have amassed powerful stories about people who join their organizations as ex-offenders and become dependable, productive employees, many of whom advance into management and leadership roles.

“Second Chance Employers tell us their workers with criminal backgrounds perform as well or better than those who don’t have records,” said Genevieve Martin, executive director of the Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, which is co-sponsoring the study. “But right now, we don’t have the data to show the positive impact these employers are experiencing.”

Researchers are currently seeking more study participants – employers from the private sector that can identify people with backgrounds in their workforce – for the study of job tenure and job performance. Throughout the study, the identity of the participating organizations and its workers will be kept strictly confidential. Employers who wish to learn more are encouraged to contact Lesley Nelson, Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation at (503) 335-8077, ext. 372 or lnelson@dkbfoundation.org.

About Dave’s Killer Bread

Feeding consumers’ love of whole grains and rocking the bread aisle comes naturally to Dave’s Killer BreadTM, the best-selling organic sliced bread in the U.S.* The flagship organic bread for Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO), Dave’s Killer Bread pioneered the organic seeded bread category and offers 19 varieties of whole grain organic bakery products with widespread distribution across the U.S. and Canada. All its products are Certified USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. First introduced at Portland Farmers Market in 2005, Dave’s Killer Bread’s deep commitment to the power of second chances is helping transform lives and lead to positive, lasting change for its employee partners, one of three who have a criminal background. Based on the belief that business has the power to create meaningful, lasting change, Dave’s Killer Bread is dedicated to inspiring other businesses to become Second Chance Employers. Learn more at: http://www.daveskillerbread.com/.

#1 Organic Sliced Bread Company Launches First National Line Extension

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – March 9, 2017 – The company known for revitalizing the bread aisle with loaves loaded with killer taste and texture is bringing its serious whole grain and protein punch to store-bought bagels and cinnamon raisin bread. Dave’s Killer Bread (DKB) is breaking into the breakfast category with four new products packed with nutrition and clean ingredients to start the day right. The products debut today at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Booth #5244 and will be nationally available in May.

“People love bagels and we love people, so what could be more natural than a delicious breakfast – DKB style,” said Dan Letchinger, vice president of marketing. “As the organic bread category leader, we owe it to our fans to step up and deliver their breakfast favorites – bagels and cinnamon raisin bread – using only great-tasting organic whole grains and clean ingredients.”

For those who love the flavor of conventional bagels but want more powerful nutrition, DKB packs its new line with whole grains and protein to keep consumers fueled throughout the day − with absolutely no artificial flavors, colors, high fructose corn syrup or bleached flour.

The four hearty new products are:

Plain Awesome: Packing more whole grains, 13g per serving, than any plain bagel available at grocery and 12g of protein, these soft, chewy bagels are loaded with the five super grains – quinoa, spelt, rye, millet and barley.

Cinnamon Raisin Remix: Cinn-fully delicious bagels that are subtly sweet with swirls of cinnamon and raisins and 11g of protein and 10g of whole grains.

Epic Everything: Everything and more with 12g of protein, 27g whole grains, 560mg of Omega-3s and a rock star lineup of toppings like flax, chia, sesame, poppy, garlic and onion.

Raisin’ the Roof: A healthy take on a classic breakfast bread, Raisin’ the Roof is a new loaf from the maker of the No. 1 organic sliced bread brand in the country. It’s a sweet and cinnamon-y raisin breakfast bread that uses organic whole wheat to provide 8g of whole grains and only 90 calories per slice. Delicious toasted, the bread is loaded with raisins, cinnamon bites, thick-rolled oats, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and sweetened with organic cane sugar.

Like all Dave’s Killer Bread products, the bagels and Raisin’ the Roof are vegan, Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, meet or exceed the Whole Grains Council Stamp requirements and have no artificial anything. The suggested retail price for bagels and Raisin’ the Roof is $5.79 and $4.99 respectively.

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About Dave’s Killer Bread

Feeding consumers’ love of whole grains and rocking the bread aisle comes naturally to Dave’s Killer BreadTM, the best-selling organic sliced bread in the U.S.* The flagship organic bread for Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO), Dave’s Killer Bread pioneered the organic seeded bread category and offers 19 varieties of whole grain organic bakery products with widespread distribution across the U.S. and Canada. All its products are Certified USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. First introduced at Portland Farmers Market in 2005, Dave’s Killer Bread’s deep commitment to the power of second chances is helping transform lives and lead to positive, lasting change for its employee partners, one of three who have a criminal background. Based on the belief that business has the power to create meaningful, lasting change, Dave’s Killer Bread is dedicated to inspiring other businesses to become Second Chance Employers. Learn more at: http://www.daveskillerbread.com/.

MILWAUKIE, ORE. – Aug. 12, 2015 – Dave’s Killer Bread today announced it has reached an agreement to be acquired by Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO), the nation’s second largest baking company. Pending regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed early this fall.

Flowers has nearly 100 years of history and baking experience, dating back to 1919 when the Flowers family opened its first bakery in Thomasville, Georgia. Today, Flowers operates 47 bakeries and its fresh bakery products are available to more than 80% of the U.S. population.

Adding Dave’s Killer Bread to Flowers’ product offering will allow the Milwaukie bakery to accelerate distribution and keep up with hungry consumers demanding its killer organic loaves. When the acquisition is complete, Dave’s Killer Bread will operate as an independent subsidiary and is expected to continue expansion of its Oregon operation where more than 300 employees fuel the brand’s success. Dave’s Killer Bread also will remain steadfast to its belief in the potential of its people, committed to not only hiring but advocating for the employment of people with criminal backgrounds through its foundation and sponsorship of the Second Chance Summit, a gathering of nonprofits, government officials and business leaders scheduled for October 16 in Portland, Ore.

As CEO John Tucker shared in a post to fans on Facebook: “Ten years ago, after 50 years in business as a small regional bakery called Nature Bake, we took a little, experimental product to the Portland Farmer’s Market: Dave’s Killer Bread. It was the first of its kind – healthy, delicious, nutrition-packed, 100% organic bread, seeded all the way around and through for killer taste and texture. To our surprise, the bread was an instant hit. We’ve been working our butts off ever since trying to keep up. There’s no way we could have predicted how much people would fall in love with our product, and our mission. In fact, as word has spread and demand grown, we’ve had trouble keeping up. It takes a special bakery to bake the Dave’s Killer Bread way – you’ve got to have the right equipment, the right people and the right heart. That’s why the partnership with Flowers Foods couldn’t come at a better time.”

Flowers Foods’ President and CEO Allen L. Shiver echoed Tucker’s enthusiasm for the pending acquisition: “We recognize the opportunity for growth in organic bread and have full intention to maintain what makes Dave’s Killer Bread powerfully different and unique: organic, whole grain and non-GMO ingredients. We have a long history of producing whole grain breads and a deep understanding of the unique process that’s required to bake a bread like Dave’s. It’s a very complementary partnership with a lot of shared values.”

About Dave’s Killer Bread

Dave’s Killer Bread is the best-selling organic sliced bread in the U.S., with 17 varieties of whole grain organic bakery products and widespread distribution across the U.S. and Canada. One of the cleanest bread labels on bread shelves, DKB pioneered the organic seeded bread category. All its products are Certified USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. First introduced at Portland Farmers Market in 2005, DKB’s deep commitment to the power of second chances is helping transform lives and lead to positive, lasting change for its employee partners, one of three who have a criminal background. Learn more about the Flowers Foods announcement at www.daveskillerbread.com/newsroom/flowersQ&A

About Flowers FoodsHeadquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is one of the largest producers of fresh packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2014 sales of $3.75 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products, including Nature’s Own, the company’s top brand, which was developed by Flowers in 1977 as a healthier bread choice with no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Today, Nature’s Own is America’s best-selling bread brand with more than $1 billion in retail sales. Learn more at www.flowersfoods.com

A nonprofit 501(c) (3), the foundation was seeded with undisclosed gifts from the bakery’s founding family led by Glenn Dahl, and CEO John Tucker. It will build on the legacy of second chances that began when co-founder Dave Dahl was welcomed back to the family bakery after 15 years in prison.

Today, the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, announced $1.2 million under the Western Diversification Program (WDP), to help Prairie organic grain growers expand into growing international markets.

MILWUAKIE, Ore. – Sept. 18, 2014 – Its fans call it the “Best Bread in the Universe” – a bold statement for a brand that until now was only available in Western states. That’s about to change. Today, Dave’s Killer Bread announced is national expansion with distribution into Midwest and Southeastern states. In all, retailers in 25 U.S. states - plus Canada – now sell the No.1-selling organic bread in the U.S., with full distribution expected by winter 2014.

Dave’s Killer Bread’s hand-crafted/seed encrusted line of 13 flavor-packed varieties are USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. Powerful in nutrition, the breads are loaded with protein, Omega-3s and fiber from seeds and organic ingredients such as amaranth, barley, spelt, blue cornmeal, quinoa and pumpkin. An average slice has up to five grams of protein, as much as an egg. DKB’s Thin-Sliced varieties have all the nutrition of the brand’s regular deli slices, with as little as 60 calories. Signature products include 21 Whole Grains and Seeds, Good Seed™, Blues Bread, and its growing family of Thin-Sliced breads. ... (continued: view the full Press Release)

Milwaukie, Ore. – Sept. 4, 2014 – Dave's Killer Bread just got more awesome. Aready one of the cleanest bread labels on shelf – the bakery uses no artificial ingredients, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup – the No.1-selling organic bread maker in the U.S. has achieved Non-GMO Project Verification for all its 13 varieties of bold, seed-crusted, whole grain certified organic breads.

Packaging on all products, including its popular 21 Whole Grains and Seeds, Blues Bread® and Good Seed®, now displays Non-GMO Project Verification prominently on the front of its new, bold packaging.

"Transparency is part of our DNA," said Dave's Killer Bread Vice President of Marketing Michelle Hunt. "Consumers can already see the care we take to source high-quality, nutrition-rich ingredients. We power pack our breads with ancient grains, seeds and organic ingredients. Organic and non-GMO have always been our way of making bread, before there were certifications or consumer demand. Our clean label confirms it, and we're proud to have all our breads certified." ... (continued: view the full Press Release)